Gut vs. Gut/Poly hybrid

[Mark-Touch]

I'm still in experimental stage with a few rackets I bought this summer.
I had never messed with strings before now, so I have much to learn.
Always used straight gut.

I'll be re-stringing one of my Wilson Blade 98L's (18x20) in a couple of days.
Right now I have Technifibre NRG2 17 multi @50 lbs on one of them
and Head Sonic Pro 16 co-poly @53lb. on the other.

The multi is giving a little more power than the co-poly,
a little less control, but more comfortable.

Of course I'm looking for the holy grail:
-power
-control
-comfort

What would the difference between
Bab VS Touch mains @52
Solinco Tour Bite Soft 16L crosses @48

and

Bab VS Touch, full bed @52

be?

TIA!

 

[zettavaska]

former (hybrid) will be less comfortable, better control (i.e. spin potential), less power, and less durability - personally prefer hybrids unless you have major arm issues

 

[mctennis]

The power gut will give you more durability , unless you are a string breaker. I like the hybrids so I can get a little better cupping of the ball in the stringbed. Your 18X20 stringbed is not built for spin, more for control. The hybrid should last longer in your stringbed than say a 16X19 or a more open string pattern. Power is going to be from the full gut bed. IF you have the technique and do not use that full western grip. I , personally, do not use the full western grip and I can have a full get string bed last many, many, many hours before it needs re-stringing. The gut will break before it actually needs to be restrung. The hybrid will probably not last nearly as long. The crosses will cut into the gut mains.

 

[hurworld]

Solinco Tour Bite Soft is a shaped poly. I'd advise against using it to hybrid with VS Touch due to faster sawing through of gut string.

Use a smooth round poly if you want to do gut/poly hybrid.

 

[IowaGuy]

Full gut has longer playability than gut/poly hybrid.

I personally find full gut to have better touch than gut/poly hybrid. My dropshots and volleys are better with full gut.

Gut/poly has a little more spin, but not a ton for my game (depends how much RHS your strokes have). Remember than Sampras still has the highest recorded spin on a serve, with his gut strings. Edberg's famous kick serve - also full gut.

 

[Mark-Touch]

Thanks guys for your replies/tips. They're helpful.
I made a mistake with the string pattern. I was thinking of my Dunlop Biomimetic 200 Plus. (18x20).
My Wilson Blade 98L is 16x19.
Just so you know, I have never broken a string during play.
And I play with my gut strings for years!

 

[edelp]

I played on this frame (blade 98l) with natural gut mains and silverstring crosses and it is a wonderful set up (23/22 Kg). I am neither a string breaker.

 

[KaiserW]

Go with gut/poly. Better than full gut imo. Gives great spin and nice ball control. At least for me I found full gut to powerful. I have experimented but keep coming back to gut/poly.

Try to go with a smooth poly cross for better durablility.